The conference's keynote speech will be given by one of the rigging industry's leading and longest-serving practitioners, Robin Elias of Unusual Rigging, whose light-hearted account of his long career will act as a vehicle to illustrate the challenges and rewards of working as a rigger. Then Cristiano Giavedoni at Kinesys Projects explores control systems and the operation of automated scenic movement, examining ways of achieving a safe environment without over-engineering systems.
Codes of Practice - The Next Steps, presented by Lori Rubinstein, Director of Skills and Standards, PLASA, and Michele Enright, Qualifications Manager, PLASA, will highlight the calls from the rigging community for an international code of practice for rigging and present the first steps PLASA has taken towards making this a reality. And in the last Monday session, Chris Böttger of Tors Rigging will help to clarify the reasons behind standards and regulations that exist in member states.
Gavin Bull from the HSE's Construction Division will present the opening session on the second day of the conference, addressing the issues surrounding the use of temporary demountable structures (TDS). Bull will discuss the significant impact that the proposed Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2014 will have on the industry when they come into effect in October 2014; this session is highly recommended for anyone involved in the 'construction' side of the entertainment industry, using prefabricated elements to build stages, roof systems, grandstands and similar structures.
Malcolm Richards presents a panel session on the often misunderstood world of truss design, clarifying misconceptions about bracing and allowable wear and tear. Malcolm's panel includes manufacturers, engineers and users to provide a balanced discussion about this really fundamental tool in production technology. And Scott Nachemann of Thornton Tomasetti leads a panel of engineers, users and manufacturers in an examination of the Indiana State Fair incident and a discussion of the lessons learned from the tragedy.
As is traditional, the closing session is a summary and a chance to return to topics and issues raised over the two days. This year the session will be chaired by Mark Surtees, managing director of Outback Rigging and the chair of the National Rigging Advisory Group. The panel will comprise some of the speakers and panellists from the 2013 conference.
As well as the conference sessions, attendees can book a place at the Riggers' Forum, held on Sunday 6 October from 2-5pm. This informal event, which costs £40 + VAT, provides company and freelance riggers with a platform to openly discuss issues affecting their daily working lives. The Forum will include a short presentation about climbing on trusses, an issue currently under scrutiny by the HSE, followed by an open forum for questions and points of concern. On hand will be members of the National Rigging Advisory Group, safety advisors and PLASA Skills to answer questions about the NRC.
(Jim Evans)
